


The Road Trip

by ohhhkenneth



Category: GOT7
Genre: Build up, Gay, Gore, Horror, M/M, Road Trips, Scary, Suspense, Thriller, Yaoi, it's not that scary, kpop, markson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-10 23:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11701938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohhhkenneth/pseuds/ohhhkenneth
Summary: To celebrate their first whole year of being together, Mark and Jackson embark on their first trip as a couple – a nature filled road trip through the countryside – against the warnings of their parents. Eager for new experiences, and having just received his license, Jackson takes Mark and himself on a journey that is one they’ll remember for a long time.Markson - horror/thriller - 6k length - Trigger warning for angst/violence





	The Road Trip

**Author's Note:**

> When I was younger my friends and I would always tell each other scary stories on the bus ride to school. This is a one shot I wrote that’s a loose adaptation of something that I remember being told when I was younger. I wasn’t able to remember every single detail of the story, but that’s okay because now the story has taken a different, more unique direction where I can add my own personal ideas and create something fresh. Hope you enjoy. :)
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> Few things I ask from you as a reader:  
> \- Comment if you have anything constructive criticisms or have any favorite moments.  
> \- Kudos if you sincerely enjoyed the story :)
> 
> Tumblr - Twitter - Instagram - Snapchat: ohhhkenneth

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“Don’t forget your flashlights!” Jackson’s mother yelled from the porch. “Do you have your emergency credit card?!”

“Yes, it’s in my wallet. Aish, I told you not to worry so much mom!” Jackson shouted back with an annoyed glare.

“Don’t worry Mrs. Wang, we’ll be fine. I’ve seen Jackson drive a hundred times, he’s getting really good.” Mark chimed in from the passenger seat as Jackson finished loading the trunk with stuff.

“It’s not his driving that I’m worried about, it’s all the other people’s driving.” She continued, walking to the end of the driveway where the car was parked and straight up to Jackson to give him a warm hug.

“Mom, trust me. We’ll be fine.” Jackson hummed into his mother’s embrace. She looked up at him with growing concern, resting her hands on either side of his strong and handsome face.

“If anything goes wrong you call me right away, okay? Ba and I will pick you guys up any hour the day, any place.” She reminded him, placing a wet motherly kiss onto his forehead that he attempted to cringe away from.

“Yes yes, I will don’t worry. Even though the only danger I’ll be in is having to listen to Mark sing for hours on end.” Jackson joked playfully, hopping into the driver’s seat of the red Mercedes Benz.

“Ya! You leave my Mark alone.” Jackson’s mother scolded, walking to the passenger’s side to give Mark a loving hug and say goodbye.

“We’ll be fine, promise.” Mark smiled up at her, accepting her kind farewell warning.

Once the boys were finally packed and ready, Mrs. Wang backed up and waved them off, looking concerned as ever as the two drove off and out of sight.

 

“Wow, she was really worried, hey?” Mark commented, leaning back in his seat to look at Jackson.

“Yeah, well you know how my parents can be. I can’t go to the corner store by myself without getting an earful from them. Especially mom.” Jackson’s answer was a little worn out, suggesting that he was annoyed.

“Hey, babe. Don’t focus so much on all of that. This is going to be a stress free trip for us both. You’ll be free of your parental control, and we will finally get to relax after another emotionally and physically draining semester.” Mark said soothingly, rubbing Jackson’s right hand that was placed on the gear shifter.

“Yeah, you’re right. Gosh, I can’t believe we graduate next year. Feels as though we’ve been in school for a hundred years.” Jackson said, looking over at Mark with a giggle. “Just think, this time next year I’ll be moved out of my parent’s house and into my own apartment. Maybe we’ll be roommates…”

Mark squeezed Jackson’s hand gently and smiled down into his lap, trying to hide his flushed cheeks.

The two boys had been dating for exactly one year now. Mark finally mustered up the courage after weeks of stalking Jackson, who was always swamped in the library studying for his exams.

Jackson was always so high strung, busy, and stressed over his academics that he was completely surprised that someone was even into him at all – let alone someone as gorgeous as Mark.

Jackson accepted when Mark asked him to dinner, and the rest is history. Every day Mark would show up to the library with snacks and soda to fuel Jackson’s study sessions, meanwhile working on stuff of his own silently beside the boy.

Mark was a graphic design major, working diligently toward starting his own advertising company. Jackson always joked that Mark could sell water to a fish because he was so creative and free-spirited.

Jackson was studying mechanical engineering at the same college, eager to finish so that he could begin working and saving money to move away.

It wasn’t that he was sick of living with his parents; he was just tired of being under someone’s watchful eye. He couldn’t wait to break free and start a new life, one under his own rules.

 

After driving for an hour or so, the boys arrived at the first small town. It was called Riverton and the population was no larger than 4000.

Jackson pulled over into a small gas station to fill the tank up. Mark was leaned over with his head on the window, watching Netflix on the tablet.

“Want anything from the store, hun?” Jackson asked as he pumped the gas.

“Mmm, I’m fine. Thanks.” Mark answered, his eyes never leaving the small device.

Jackson finished filling the gas tank and returned the pump to its original position. As he headed to the store to pay for it, he noticed a couple large tanker trucks pull into the lot. Mark was so enthralled with Grey’s Anatomy that he didn’t notice one of the large grey trucks pull up behind him.

After a few minutes of silence, Mark poked his head up and looked around, wondering what was taking Jackson so long.

Just then a loud blaring horn went off right behind the boys’ car. It was the sound of a large eighteen-wheeler, and it nearly gave Mark a heart attack.

“Agh, what the fuck?” Mark muttered to himself, his heart rate stampeding through his chest. He wrenched his head around to see that there was a group of overweight, dirty looking truckers pointing in his direction, sharing a hearty laugh together.

“Bastards.” Mark mouthed to himself, facing himself back to the front with a pout.

“Aww, I think we scared the little yuppie.” One of them commented, patting his friend on the shoulder.

“Serves him right for driving a beamer out here.” The other one scoffed. “That’s a good way to get run off the road.”

Mark did his best not to attract any more attention to himself, choosing to stay silent and focus on his TV show.

Jackson returned a minute later with a bag full of chips and beef jerky. He leaned over to give Mark a kiss but stopped halfway, noticing that the red head was looking a little distraught.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” He asked, adjusting himself in his seat.

Mark quickly changed his expression from shaken to happy. He smiled at Jackson and then pushed his face forward to complete the kiss.

“Nothing. There was a sad scene in this show just now. You know how I get when my favorite characters die.” Mark lied, sneaking a small glance toward the truckers across the lot. They were gone now, each returned to their own vehicles.

Even though Mark was a bit worried about the rude locals, he didn’t dare tell Jackson about it. As nervous as Mark was, he knew that he was the braver, more rational one out of them both.

Telling Jackson now would only guarantee that the younger would spend the entire trip obsessing over it and not get to enjoy himself fully.

“Let’s go, we have a lot of country to drive through. Mark cheered. “First stop, the largest frying pan in the entire north west!”

Jackson giggled and pulled out of the gas station, heading down the large and empty highway.

 

“Hold still, I’m gonna SnapChat this and send it to Junior.” Mark instructed, steadying his phone as Jackson posed in front of the large frying pan statue.

The boys were only about three hours into their road trip and were already having more fun than they imagined.

They were parked on the side of the highway, standing in the grass, taking pictures with what was dubbed the largest frying pan in North America.

“Here, does it look like I’m holding it?” Jackson shouted, lining his small arms up in front of the pan’s handle, looking like a small speck compared to the large statue.

“You’re crazy.” Mark told him, now recording a video onto Instagram of his boyfriend. “You’re gonna make all of our friends hungry, haha.”

“Speaking of which, I could really use some food. You hungry at all?” Jackson asked, placing a hand on his stomach.

“Starving.” Mark smiled, taking a few candid shots of Jackson with his hands on his belly when the boy was looking away.

“I think there’s a diner down that way, if we just drive straight for the next little while we should hit it.” Jackson said, leading the pair back to the car.

 

An hour or so later, it was finally getting dark. As the boys arrived at the small diner, they pulled in and parked beside a large flickering neon sign that read Herby’s Grill.

 “This sure beats McDonald’s, hey babe?” Jackson said, his eyes bright as he stared at the large sign.

“Well, it’s authentic, that’s for sure.” Mark slowly answered, looking around at the dark and empty parking lot. “I wonder if anyone is even here…”

“The lights are on, so I guess it is.” Jackson said, exiting the vehicle. “Just wait here, I’ll check.”

Mark felt a shiver come over him as Jackson left the car and walked towards the door. The wind was beginning to pick up, and the trees were rustling from the forest nearby.

Jackson shielded his face from the dust and wind with his hands, approaching the door with caution. He gripped a hand on the door’s handle and pulled; the door was old and creaked a little, but opened easily.

Jackson turned back to the vehicle and waved his hand, signaling for Mark to come in.

Mark huffed and left the vehicle too. He slammed the door and scurried through the windy parking lot to join Jackson.

“It’s super old, but that should mean they’ll have good food, right?” Jackson laughed as Mark met him.

“I hope.” Mark sighed back, pushing his way through the entrance.

There was an eerie ding as the boys walked into the well-lit diner, the wind chime above the door jingling with each swing.

“Flora, customers.” An angry looking man croaked from one of the booths. Aside from him, there was nobody else in sight.

“Here, let’s sit over there.” Jackson said, pointing to a small table at the back of the room, next to a large window. Mark stayed silent, glued to Jackson’s side as the two sat themselves down.

Just then a scrawny woman with a red striped shirt on and black pants appeared from the back. She waddled towards the boys as if she hurt her hip, there was a pencil lodged into her messy blonde bun and what looked like two day old mascara smeared across her eyes.

“Yikes.” Mark said to Jackson under his breath. The woman looked as though she survived a zombie apocalypse; or worse, was a zombie herself.

“Mm, you boys ain’t from around here. City folk, are y’all?” She questioned, pulling a small notepad from her back pocket.

“We’re from the city, yes.” Jackson answered on behalf of them both. “We’re just going on a road trip.”

Flora peered outside the window and to their vehicle, then squinted her eyes.

“That yer car there?” She grumbled, pointing with her lips.

“Yeah…” Jackson answered slowly, a little confused.

“You two better watch yerselves. Pretty little car like that is prime target for thieves.” She warned, licking the tip of her pen swiftly. “Now, what can I get y’all?”

Jackson swallowed nervously then looked at Mark.

“I’ll have the cheeseburger deluxe. Just fries and gravy on the side is okay. Oh, and a Pepsi.” Mark quickly filled the silence.

“Yeah, me too.” Jackson followed.

“Sure.” Flora responded, folding her pad back into her pocket. When she reached the counter she looked over at the man that was sitting there. “Another coffee, Reggie?”

The man nodded, tipping his glass to her. She picked it up and disappeared into the back again.

“Okay, she officially scares the hell out of me.” Jackson said to Mark as soon as he was sure the woman wouldn’t hear. “I wonder what she meant by the whole thieves thing. I wonder if that stuff happens a lot out here.”

“Yeah, she’s a bit odd.” Mark answered. “Don’t pay it much attention. The car has a remote starter, OnStar, and a very sophisticated alarm system.”

“Oh shit, that reminds me!” Jackson interjected, standing up quickly. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and pointed them towards the window, sighing a breath of relief when the car lit up, honking twice quickly.

“You forgot to lock the car…” Mark said blankly, staring at Jackson as he sat back down.

“That could’ve been bad.” Jackson said, laughing nervously.

“Two cheeseburger deluxe, fries and gravy, and two Pepsi colas.” Flora said, placing the plates down in front of the two.

“Wow, looks great. Thanks!” Mark chimed, tossing a hot fry into his mouth immediately. “Yum.”

“Yeah, looks awesome. Thanks.” Jackson said, looking up at the woman.

“Yup.” She replied, already walking away.

“Everyone here is so… friendly…” Jackson said, giving Flora a side glare.

“Just be glad they aren’t like those people from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We could be chopped up into little pieces and served to the dogs.” Mark said, eating his food ferociously. He stopped a second later and looked up slowly, realizing that Jackson was not laughing. “Shit. I’m sorry babe. I know you wouldn’t find that funny.”

Jackson smirked a little then turned away, “I’m just uneasy. This place rubs me the wrong way.”

As he scanned the diner one more time, he locked eyes with Reggie. The old man was staring directly at him with a cold dead look on his face. Jackson figured he was just glancing, but when the man stood there for a solid thirty seconds, Jackson shivered and turned away quickly. The old man looked as though he had seen a ghost.

“Let’s eat and get outta here.” Jackson whispered, digging into his food now too.

 

When the boys were finished, Jackson left money on the table, not waiting for Flora to return, and lead Mark out of the diner.

Stepping out into the darkness, Mark clutched onto Jackson’s arm as the wind whipped away at them, the cold chill settling into his bones.

“Gosh it’s freezing now.” Mark whimpered, hurrying to get in. “Turn the seat warmers on babe.”

Jackson started the car up and blew hot air into his hands, rubbing them together in an attempt to warm up.

“Let’s see, the next town is about two hours north. It’s called Brampton. They have a motel there. If we leave now we can reach it by about 10PM, then settle down for the night, how does that sound?” Jackson said, looking over at Mark. The red head was curled up in a blanket he brought, shivering helplessly.

“Aw, sweetheart. C’mere.” Jackson said, pulling on Mark’s hand. Mark happily scooted over and then lifted himself over the gap between their seats, planting himself onto Jackson’s lap.

Jackson wrapped the two of them in the blanket, then snaked his hands under Mark’s sweater. He pressed his warm lips against Mark’s neck and began suckling gently, warming him and making him giggle.

Mark breathed out and rested his head delicately against Jackson’s, letting the boy rub and caress his body with his cold fingers.

“This is one thing I’m glad for.” Mark whispered seductively, leaning down to kiss Jackson’s mouth. “We don’t have to worry about your mom walking in on us again.”

Jackson stopped Mark abruptly, pulling his head away to adjust his gaze out the window. “Maybe not my mom, but what about Flora?” he asked, looking totally uncomfortable.

Mark quickly turned to look out the windshield, noticing the outline of a small woman standing at the diner’s front window. She shook her head a few times and then disappeared.

“Wow, that’s creepy. She was just watching us?” Mark said, finding his way back on to his own seat.

“Yeah, I don’t like that. Let’s get out of here.” Jackson said as he slammed the car into drive, pulling out of the parking lot quickly.

 

The car sped down the highway; Jackson nerves seemed to have made his foot heavier, because they were going significantly faster now, almost 140kph.

“Babe, ease up. We’ll get there soon, don’t worry.” Mark said, placing a warm hand onto Jackson’s thigh.

Jackson was seemingly unaffected. He was only concerned with finding a safe place to sleep, and getting as far away from that small town as possible.

Mark kept his eyes on the road, watching as the green signs illuminated with their headlights, flashing as the boys flew by.

Mark noticed a truck in the rearview mirror; he wondered how long it was trailing behind them, because he didn’t even notice it was there until now.

It was a large truck, he could tell by the sound it was making, but either than that Mark couldn’t make out any other features. He felt his hands begin to sweat, but decided not to bring it up.

Feeling the tension in the air rise, Mark decided to try and lighten the mood.

“I wonder if this hotel will have a continental breakfast. I hope they have blueberry muffins.” He said hopefully, turning over to face Jackson.

Jackson’s expression didn’t change, and he didn’t answer Mark’s comment at all. Instead he deadpanned and shot his eyes up to the rearview mirror.

“That truck has been following us now for an hour.” He said sternly, the concern in his eyes growing.

Mark’s own hidden fears began to surface. He didn’t know if Jackson would notice it too, but now that he did, Mark knew he wasn’t imagining things.

Still, the redhead wanted to keep Jackson calm, just in case the vehicle really was trailing them. He knew how frantic Jackson got when he was stressed.

“I’m sure they’re just going to the same town as us. This is a popular road you know.” Mark offered, his hand finding its way back to Jackson’s thigh.

“Do you see any other cars on this road, Mark?” Jackson asked lowly.

Mark blinked a few times, a little taken back by how solemn Jackson sounded. But the boy was right; they were the only cars on the road. Everything was black on this highway except for the two vehicles’ lights.

There was silence in the car for a few more minutes. Mark was trying to come up with new strategies to loosen the tension, meanwhile Jackson was practically vibrating with anxiety, his gaze shooting up to the mirror every few seconds.

“We’re not going to Brampton anymore, hun.” Jackson finally said, his words slicing through the air.

Mark scratched his head and leaned back, a little puzzled. “Well, where are we going then?”

“There’s a road about thirty yards up ahead, I’m going to turn into it. From there we’ll have a straight away to a small town called Ainsley. It’s a dirt road though, hardly ever taken by trucks because it’s so small. If he turns into it, we’ll know he’s following us.” Jackson’s tone was serious but excited.

Mark nodded, unsure of what to say. Although he knew that it was a sure way of figuring out whether the truck was following them, he felt anxiety build in his chest and flutter down his stomach, because he wasn’t sure what he would do if the truck did turn with them.

Jackson tightened his grip on the wheel; sweat was starting to form just above his eyebrow. The turn was in sight now, just fifteen yards ahead. He checked the mirror – the truck was not letting up one bit. Jackson knew he had to turn, otherwise he would go stir crazy.

He slowed down, deciding to not turn his signal light on. He didn’t want to alert the truck of his intentions.

Mark lowered the radio, wanting to focus completely on what was happening. Their vehicle was almost at a complete stop, just before Jackson made a sharp left, turning on to the dirt gravel road.

Mark adjusted himself in the seat, twisting his body around to get a better view of the back window. He held his breath, waiting to see what the truck was about to do.

From what he could see, the truck was not slowing down, nor was it signaling that it was about to turn. Mark felt the air rush back into his lungs. His hands were riddled with sweat, but he felt himself calming down.

“There, see. He wasn’t following us after all.” Mark began, turning his body back towards the front.

“You sure?” Jackson suddenly whispered, his voice shaky as he glared at the mirror.

Mark felt his heart sink. He shot his head around, turning his attention back to the window. About half a kilometer away, he saw the unmistakable headlights of the truck turn into the road they were on, lighting up the entire dirt filled path.

The truck bounced and shook at the ruggedness of the road under it, the metal chains and cords whipped and clanked against the steel doors.

“He really is following us. No seasoned trucker would risk his or her rig on these roads. It’s too dangerous.” Jackson said worriedly, speeding up a little bit despite the rough terrain they were driving on.

“Be careful. We don’t want to pop a tire or something.” Mark warned, realizing now that Jackson was getting into his usual worried state, only this time Mark was feeling it too, as the sensation in his chest continued to circulate.

“I wonder what he wants-“ Jackson mumbled to himself in an irate groan, before being cut off by what sounded like a loud foghorn.

The sound boomed through the dark night, stirring up a few owls and causing Mark’s hands to fly to his ears, shielding them from the sheer volume of the truck.

“Argh, what do you want?!” Jackson yelled into the mirror. It took Mark a moment to realize he was talking to the truck and not him.

“Maybe he’s lost and needs directions.” Mark suggested, knowing the possibility of that was slim to none.

“There’s gas stations all over, he could stop at any one and ask for help. Still doesn’t explain why he’s going to these lengths to stop us.” Jackson shot back, his eyes still shooting back and forth between the bright truck behind them and the dark road ahead.

“What should we do? Should we stop and see what he wants?” Mark squeaked, completely clueless.

“That’s how we get murdered and robbed.” Jackson reminded him. “I’m not pulling this car over for anything.”

Just then the foghorn went off again, making Mark shield his ears. The truck sped up until it was only a few meters away from the boys’ car, its large headlights flashing promptly.

“What the hell…” Mark grumbled, squinting his eyes from the large bright lights. “Why is he flashing at us like that?”

“I don’t know, but I’m starting to get seriously pissed off.” Jackson growled. “Babe, grab your phone. Call the police. This guy has gone too far. He is endangering us both by doing this shit.”

“Uhm, alright.” Mark replied, pulling his iPhone out. He unlocked the phone and then turned his face over slowly to Jackson, a look of horror strewn across it.

“What?” Jackson spit out nervously.

“I don’t have service.” Mark said back, waving his phone in the air pathetically. “Here, let me check yours.” He quickly offered.

Jackson lifted his hips and pulled his phone out, tossing it to Mark quickly.

“You’ve got no service either. Wow…” Mark sighed. “I feel like we’re in some sort of horror movie.”

“Fuck fuck fuck.” Jackson muttered to himself. “My mom was right.”

“Hey, we don’t know what exactly this guy wants yet. Don’t talk like that.” Mark hummed. “How much longer until we reach the town?”

Jackson checked the clock; he bit down on his lip and sighed. “About forty or so minutes. I don’t know if I can handle much more of this though. I’m seriously freaked, Mark.”

“It’s going to be alr-“ Mark choked.

The truck flashed its brights, nearly blinding the boy again. At this point the truck was about five feet behind the boys, the chains from the cab jingling angrily as it bounced behind them. Every once and a while the engine would roar and the truck would speed up, nearly bumping into the back of Jackson’s car, all the while flashing it’s large headlights.

“STOP!” Mark shouted, the terror on his face evident.

“Keep checking for service, babe. I know you’re scared but if you can get at least one bar you might be able to text my mom. Tell her we’re on Highway no. 467, west of Ainsley and a drunk driver is harassing us. Tell her he’s trying to run us off the road.” Jackson instructed him, trying his best to maintain his composure as he gave the phone back to Mark.

“Alright.” Mark sniffled, his fingers shaking as he began typing away frantically. “All we need is one bar…” He mumbled to himself quietly as he went to work typing out the desperate message.

 

Fifteen minutes later things hadn’t improved much. The boys continued to speed down the dirt road at a determined pace, kicking up dust and rocks which the large eighteen-wheeler exploded through effortlessly, never trailing further than ten or so feet behind them.

“Ha!” Mark suddenly cried out. “It sent. My text went through!”

“Good job.” Jackson praised him, smiling nervously as he looked back at the truck. It was the first time he’d smiled since they left the diner. “Now we just need to pray that mom sees it and is able to help us. Knowing her, we should be okay. Only about thirty more minutes until we reach the town.”

Far off in the distance, Mark was able to make out what looked like the city limits. There were rows upon rows of yellow lights lining the horizon, signaling the entrance of the town.

“C’mon mom, don’t let us down.” Mark said under his breath, his sweaty hand gripping the handle of the door. “C’mon c’mon c’mon-“

Just then another eerie sound cut through the air, except this time it wasn’t from the dangerous man driving behind them, it was coming from their own car.

“What the fuck was that?” Mark quivered, looking around the front of the car for any signs of damage.

“I think… it was our car…” Jackson choked out, his eyes dead set on the ‘Check Engine’ light that was now illuminated red.

Mark felt a defeated cry force its way up his throat, and he retreated his head into the protection of his palms, covering his entire face in despair. “No, no, no this can’t be happening. Jackson, what do we do?” He pleaded.

Jackson gulped tensely, his Adam’s apple shaking fervently as he swallowed down. He didn’t have an answer for Mark. He wasn’t able to come up with anything to placate the boy with.

A drop of sweat inched its way down Mark’s cheek, he looked desperately at Jackson for solace, but there was nothing but complete and total terror in his boyfriend’s face.

“It’s… gonna be okay.” Jackson forced out of his mouth. Even he didn’t believe it though. Sitting in the driver seat, his clammy hands tapping nervously at the wheel, Jackson felt his heart beat runaway, and a tense feeling of dread come over him. He felt as though he was being choked, gasping for air with all of his might.

“Jacks, look!” Mark shouted. It startled Jackson, as he was so close to the edge of a panic attack.

Up ahead, just barely visible was the unmistakable glow of red, blue and white. It was a police car – the Sheriff’s vehicle – with the siren blaring, and the lights glowing brightly.

Jackson’s heart nearly skipped a beat; he had never seen something more relieving in his entire life. He felt his foot instinctively slam down on the pedal, breaking them off into a cloudy surge of dust.

The chassis of the car vibrated at the strained speed, signaling that the suspension was nearly shot. Jackson didn’t care; he wanted to get as far away from the truck and closer to the police more than anything.

“Thank you Mrs. Wang.” Mark said to himself, turning back to see that the truck was slowly falling behind, being completely blinded by the dirt.

When the boys finally reached the exit, the police officer was already standing at attention with his hand on his holster.

Jackson slid into a parked position on the side of the road, shouting for Mark to wait in the car, then jumped out of the vehicle, leaving the door wide open.

“I’m Sheriff Antoine. I got a message from a very concerned woman. She said you boys are being attacked by a trucker?” The officer said, meeting with Jackson at the front of his car.

Jackson was nearly out of breath, using the remainder of his energy to collect himself enough to explain the situation. He pointed towards the road they came from, “It’s… it’s the truck there. He has been following us… ramming us…”

“Son, get behind me.” The Sheriff ordered, drawing his weapon.

The truck driver pulled up slowly on the opposite end of the road from where Mark was waiting. He jumped out of the cab and hit the gravel with a thud. His appearance is exactly what Jackson had imagined in his mind – only worse.

The man had a head full of untamed, greasy, grey and black stringy hair. He was wearing a leather vest that was full of sewn on patches, covering an oil stained cotton shirt. He was a few pounds overweight, and not very tall.

When he reached the front of the truck, he wasted no time, moving quickly and dashing across the road directly towards Jackson’s vehicle. There was a sinister aura about him, and his movements seemed deliberate and malicious.

“Stop right there, or I’ll shoot!” The Sheriff screamed, his deep voice booming and scaring even Jackson.

The man lifted his hands and backed away from the vehicle slowly, pointing wildly at the car Mark was seated in. He shouted words frantically, his head shooting back and forth between the vehicle and the officer, all the while pointing and waving like a mad man.

“Stay away from him!” Jackson growled, having to be held back by the officer when he stepped forward. Jackson was sure that the man was insane, or perhaps didn’t speak English all that well. Either way, he was dangerous looking and Jackson wanted him nowhere near Mark.

“Put your hands on the ground slowly. Keep them where I can see them.” The Sheriff continued, all the while the man screamed and grunted, making wild hand gestures towards Mark.

 

The officer did a good job of restraining the crazed man, making sure to seat him in the back of the cruiser. When he had calmed down, the Sheriff interviewed him briefly.

By this time the man was completely still; his aura only growing darker and more mysterious as he sat there handcuffed with his head down, his black hair falling over his face.

“What exactly did you plan on getting out of harassing these young men? You nearly ran them off the road. Damn near scared them lifeless.” The officer said in an authoritative voice.

There was a moment of silence and then a very eerie and horrifying sound that escaped from the man’s mouth: he was laughing.

Jackson’s fist instantly clenched, and he lunged forward, again being held back by the Sheriff.

“Easy boy. I know he’s a sick man, but let me handle it from here. I’ll make sure you’re safe.” He reminded Jackson.

“You can make sure he’s safe, but who is protecting his little friend?” the man whispered in a low and bloodcurdling voice.

Jackson’s skin grew cold; he backed up and looked over at Mark sitting in the passenger’s seat. The boy was leaning his head against the window, his phone screen lighting his pale face up. He was probably trying to get a phone signal still. But he was okay.

“What do you mean by that?” Jackson snarled from behind the policeman.

“It’s too late. I can’t help you now. You’ve wasted your chance…” the man’s voice continued to moan. “You see… I was trying to warn you. Help you.”

“Help them? By nearly knocking them off the road?” Sheriff Antoine interrupted.

“I had to get their attention. They didn’t care to listen. You see, that person, he was going to… I had no choice; I had to help…” this man’s creepiness began to wane as he talked.

He was halfway through finishing his explanation when the most unsettling scream imaginable rang out behind the three men. The shriek chilled Jackson to the bone and nearly sank his chest into his stomach. It was Mark.

“It’s too late…” the man whispered, looking up at Jackson with bulging wide eyes.

 

Mark was sent to the hospital for a large three-inch gash across his neck. He was given a tetanus shot for the wound as well, because the blade was rusted. The slice nearly severed his main carotid artery, leaving Mark in critical condition. Jackson waited by his side every second of every day, never forgiving himself for leaving Mark in the car by himself.

 

“What-“ Mark shuddered, “What time is it?”

Jackson woke up with a sniffle and scrambled to Mark’s bedside, wide-awake now. “Babe, don’t talk so much, the doctors don’t want you straining your throat.” Jackson warned him, placing a warm hand on the boy.

“I’m so… cold.” Mark said with a scratchy and weak voice.

Jackson sprang up from his chair and pulled out a blanket that he had packed. “These nurses know nothing about how to warm a blanket around here. I’ll do it myself.” He said, crawling onto the small hospital bed with Mark.

Mark smiled warmly, scooting over a little to make room. Jackson covered them both with the large fuzzy blanket, making sure to wrap an arm around Mark carefully to warm him without hurting him.

“What happened to me?” Mark groaned through his pain.

“Shh babe, you’ll hurt yourself.” Jackson insisted again. “Maybe I’ll tell you when we get out of here, I don’t really want to bring it up.”

“Tell me.” Mark commanded in a low voice.

Jackson sighed and sat up, adjusting himself slightly. He cleared his voice a little before he explained, “After we took the truck driver into custody, you were attacked. By the time I reached the vehicle there was already so much blood that I thought you were already dead-“

Jackson felt a large lump form in his throat, and he barely had the strength to continue. But he did, swallowing down hard and looking away to hide his wet eyes.

“You were on the seat, covered in blood. There was a man sitting in the seat behind you. According to the truck driver he had jumped into the car when we were at the diner. I forgot to lock the doors… I practically invited him in…”

Mark felt Jackson’s deep regret, and rubbed a thumb over his thigh a few times, encouraging him to continue. Jackson bit down on his tongue, trying to battle through his extreme emotions.

“He had a knife and some rope on him. Who knows what he was planning. He hid himself in the back, under a blanket. The truck driver noticed him at the last minute hiding in our trunk, so he followed us from the diner and down the long roads.”

A single tear rolled down Mark’s face and into his neck brace. He sniffled lightly, squeezing hard on Jackson’s thigh.

“Every time the man crept up from the back to attack, the truck driver shone his lights and honked his horn. That stopped the man from going any further… He saved our lives, Mark.”

The End.


End file.
